The Raven

[Pookymum]

Sleek, dark, and ominous. Violet and neroli mingled with iris, white sandalwood and dark musk.

 

 

This one smells completely different when its in the vial than when it is on the skin. The muskiness comes through strongly but there is a dark floral undertone when you first smell it in the vial. On the skin it is the other way around the exotic dark floral is the strongest scent with the sandalwood and musk coming through behind. It is very strong and lasts for ages. It is sexy and exotic and I completely love it.

[twistygirl]

This is gorgeous. I absolutely love the smell of neroli, and the mix of that with the sandalwood and dark musk is just amazing. It's sexy, it's intoxicating, it's a floral for people who probably wouldn't normally wear florals. In fact, I don't know that I'd classify it as a floral despite the neroli, violet, and iris. There's such a deepness and richness to it. Elizabeth has done something magical with this blend.

[Lady_Ell]

This did smell very floral on me, yet it didn't turn into a grody carpet spray smell. It somehow stayed calm and pretty. I'm not usually a floral type of girl, but yesterday there were beautiful lilacs blooming outside my bedroom window and the smell was wafting into my room and I thought "let's try a floral today" - and The Raven matched that feeling beautifully. It lasted about 5 hours, just sitting delicately and prettily on my wrists. It smelled like lilacs to me, but I think that was just me misinterpreting violets due to the scenery outside.

[friendthegirl]

First sniff out of the bottle: It smells like a vegetable, but I can't pinpoint which one. Maybe celery? A little odd.

 

It smells like cucumber to me! Not good.

Edited April 27, 2004 by friendthegirl

[Reinaluna]

I did not like this one. Then drydown on my smelled like buttered popcorn I ended up pouring this down the drain because I will not wear it so there was no point in letting it take up space in my good perfume stash.

[Dispatcherbert]

I can basically reiterate everything Pookymum said in her post. This was an extra for me with my Imp's Ears order and definitely nothing I would've ordered myself since I'm not a fan of musk. That said, I dd like it although it is nothing that I would wear a lot. I didn't dislike it, though. I may trade this. I'll have to see.

[jj_j]

I can smell the violet, and the iris, both of which I enjoy. The other scents, though, never make it out, and I get a soft, iris-y violet that seems pale in comparison to Veil.

 

Too many other fantastic violet scents made by Beth for this one to be a re-order for me. Not bad, just not as vibrant and fantastic as the others.

[Astarte]

Like jj_j, the violet and iris are at first quite strong. But this scent reminds me of a lighter version of Veil.

 

I cant wear Veil as it's too strong for me but this is the perfect weight (figuratively speaking) for this scent.

[nevermore]

I bought this one based on the name alone. On me, this is a light floral that reminds me a lot of LUSH’s Bathos bubble bar slice (must be the violets). I smell mostly violets, and maybe some iris, and perhaps a touch of sandalwood. I can see this one getting a lot of wear over the summer, as it isn’t too overpowering.

[isyche]

Just got this in a swap. At first sniff, it strikes me as fresh, purple, dusky, and somehow masculine - it actually reminds me a lot of my dad for some reason, especially when it wafts up. Closer to my skin, more of the sweetness of the florals comes through.

This isn't one where the neroli overwhelms everything, for which I'm grateful. I quite like it. I don't know if I'll wear it much myself, but I'll save it.

[Isis]

The Raven is the fist scent I wanted to try and when my order came I put some on right away.

 

First applied: Stinks to high heaven of those parma violet sweets. It has a very disctinct sweet smell of violets.

 

On skin: It quickly toned down to a darker and muskier smell, slightly smoky I thought too. I can detect the violet as it smells just like Lush's Bathos bar, however was disappointed not to get the neroli.

 

Overall, I think its OK- nice if you fancy smelling like sweet dark violets, but I found that my skin gobbled up the fragrance really quick!

Now it's beggining to fade- but I applied this late afternoon after a busy day, so I did feel not as fresh as I would've done.

Wearing this I feel mysterious and a sort of proctectiveness....sexy too.

 

It's interesting though- but i'm not crazy over it.

Edited June 25, 2004 by Isis

[Northernminx]

A nice subtle, smooth violet scent. I'd classify this as a dark floral. It's strong but not cloying, and velvet soft and quiet and so beautiful.

 

This was a lot more floral than I anticipated but Im really enjoying it as it's different than the other florals I'm keeping.

 

Thinking about adding this one to the list of big bottles.

[heartbeast]

Wow! This one is a serious shapeshifter!

 

Okay, wet in the bottle and on, this was almost exactly like my first ever magical oil: Spiritual Sky's African Violet. I started using it in rituals before I was old enough to really wear perfume! Quickly, though, The Raven lightened up so that it wasn't quite so dark and rich, but maintained that deep violet note. Within a half an hour, it had lightened up so much that it reminded me of Lilac Vegetal, a very light old-fashioned men's cologne that my ex-husband used to wear. Within another half hour, it was gone...or so I thought. It was just that pause before the next movement in the symphony!

 

When The Raven came back in, it smelled so much like Old Sybaris that I kept sniffing for the tonka bean. It was a lighter violet than the one in Old Sybaris, with a delightful smoky note--is it the sandalwood? Is it the musk? Is it the sandalwood combined with the musk?--that grounds the violet the same way the tonka bean does in OS.

 

The Raven and Old Sybaris are fraternal twins, brother and sister. They both have dark hair and violet-blue eyes. She is curvy and voluptuous, with a generous, sensual nature and a wicked (but kind) sense of humor. He is tall and slender, and a bit of a loner. He's not depressive, just very, very serious. It's actually not that hard to make him smile, but his sister is one of the few people who can make him laugh out loud. He lives in a Victorian apartment in the Haight. Sometimes he locks himself in there for days on end, burning candles and incense and writing poetry. When that happens, Old Sybaris comes over and drags him out to Kanzamaan to get some dinner and smoke a hookah.

 

(Although that light, smoky violet is all around me and on my wrists, if I bend down and stick my nose in my cleavage it is nothing but sweet, sweet violets. Which tells me something about what that young man is like in bed. )

[Alice Aforethought]

This is beautiful. Rich and complex, yet still fresh and clean. The violet here is completely at home and natural, with the neroli providing a brighter face but never overwhelming. It is sweet, yes, but in a floral, not a sugary way, with that hint of darkness keeping it from being at all cloying. I think this is my favourite of all Beth's violet scents. I'm in love!

Edited August 11, 2004 by Alice Aforethought

[hypothermya]

Initial Impressions

 

How in the world can a perfume be pale and dark all at the same time? Cause this one does it, and I'm still trying to figure out how. It's got that soft violet, and that light sandalwood, which make it feel very soft; but then the musk and the iris and the neroli give it a more murky, powerful, and dark feeling. I put off trying this for several days just because I was having trouble interpretting what I was smelling in the vial.

 

Wearing It

 

My skin loves musk, and this perfume is no exception. The first thing that really stands out is the darker musk smell, interwoven with that beautiful violet and iris. It's this very moody, introspective scent. Reminds me of a pale purple, but with a hue so deep that it's almost black/gray... The sandalwood for once isn't really dominating this scent, but just adding a bit of a heavier feeling, as though something were grounding that intangible dark floral aspect. ...It occurs to me that this was what I wanted Saturnalia to smell like, only it captures it so much better here! The neroli isn't making much of an appearance, though...

 

Lasting Power

 

This isn't a strong perfume, so someone needs to get up close to even smell it... Which I like, since I'm not a fan of knocking people out while I walk down the hall. But despite being a soft, subtle blend, this stuff still lasts a while.

 

 

I like this. It's a dark, moody floral with a hint of something mysterious in it. A perfect capture of E.A. Poe's poem. Not being a fan of florals myself, I don't think this can compete with the more fruity BPAL blends that I've come to like, but I'm really glad I got to try this one. And since it was given to me by a friend who had ordered a 5ml for herself, I'm happy just envisioning her with this scent on! How perfect for her!

[Witch's Dagger]

Preconceived notions:

 

A friend of mine gave three scents to me that she didn't like. This was one of them. It's also one I ordered in my first order, which has not yet arrived. I associate very strongly with ravens of all sorts, and I worship a God/Goddess I call Raven. I was really, really excited about this, but a little nervous due to the notes listed. It didn't sound very dark to me. Then, I read the reviews, and I thought, "Okay, maybe it is dark..."

 

Actual testing:

 

This is not a dark scent.

 

In the vial: really, really sweet floral. I can make out a certain powdery, floral sweetness that reminds me of why I don't like herb teas with rose hips and hibiscus flowers. It's catching in my mouth, right before my throat. I decide to take a chance and hope that it would disappear on me.

 

On me: Nope, actually it's getting stronger...

 

An hour later: Smells like baby powder.

 

I never smelled any sandalwood, which I think could have deepened and subdued the sweetness a little. From other reviews, it also seems like neroli has a sharp, bitter/spicy note which might have helped if it had come through on me.

 

I haven't completely given up - we'll have to see what My Lady Of Ravens thinks of it. But I'm not all that optimistic, since She is also very dark, and is in fact, darker than me. I'm somewhat disappointed that I ordered this one: the imp I have is sure to be enough.

 

Edited to add:

I've read more reviews of this that say things like, "If you love violets, you will love this." This was one of the first scents I tried, but I can still say that I did not get a strong violet from it. I can say this because I've loved almost all the scents I've tried with violet in them, and feel that violet does add darkness. So for me, the violet in this was sugared down to the point of being nearly white. I don't remember *exactly* what it smelled like, but if there were violets, they were weak, sugared down violets and not strong ones. For me. I wish I could have gotten some of the strong violets others have experienced from this.

Edited February 2, 2005 by Witch's Dagger

[TheDarkMother]

In the Bottle: The Raven is soapy, but lightly floral, like dishwashing liquid. This isn't really what I was expecting, but certainly not a bad smell. In fact, I'm rather partial to it.

 

On Me: Wow, what a change! Now this is more of what I expected. There is the distinct smell of iris, which I absolutely adore! And now, once again, it begins to change as the white sandalwood begins to come out. The violet is intermingled with it, and it compliments each other brilliantly. Its a slight musty, like books. This certainly makes me think more of Edgar Allen Poe than the Indian totem of Raven.

 

This will be on my big bottle list!

[OdetteOdile]

"Cucumber...celery...buttered popcorn..." I love how many different scents different people get out of the same perfume.

 

Like Heartbeast, I smelled Spiritual Sky's African Violet at the outset. Then eventually it warmed up and got a little sweeter and softer. I've always been a big African Violet fan, and I love the association of that scent with the name "the Raven" - so dark and evocative, so I'm going to try this one again. (There's a slight medicinal undertone that I'm not in love with, but I'll see if I still smell it the next time I try it.)

[diabolique]

damn, i'm wondering if the imp i received (from witch's dagger!) was mislabeled. i can't pinpoint any of the notes in this, but it doesn't smell similar to the description at all. i'm not sure what violet smells like, nor do i know what neroli smells like. i can't smell the sandalwood or the musk at all, which i suppose is good, because musk does not agree with my skin in large quantities.

 

in the vial, this was one of those scents that screams, "HEY! you know me from somewhere!" and, indeed, i did. after a couple of minute's contemplation, i remembered that this smells like mr. bubbles. i'm not sure if it's still produced, but it's basically just liquid you pour into your bath to make bubbles.

 

i keep smelling it in hope that i can label down some individual notes; i think i just caught a bit of sandalwood. i know i have more scents with neroli. i should find out what they are and compare them to this.

 

i put this on my wrist, and it retained the mr. bubbles-esque sweetness (although it isn't soapy), but the smell slowly dried down to something that was mature, with a hint of sweetness behind it. besides the familiar bubblebath smell, i think this is quite beautiful in its own right. it makes me feel slightly nostalgic.

 

this is marvelous layered with wanda. i'm glad to have received this in a swap. i can't imagine reaching for it too often, but i'm still happy that i had the chance to try it. to me, the raven is like a complex person who you wouldn't really give much second thought until you start to get to know them; it seems one-dimensional at first, but it slowly opens up to reveal its depth.

 

ETA: for the record, i didn't get any baby powder of this one, just in case anyone thinks it may be a problem for their skin. my chemistry has a tendency to turn a lot of beautiful scents into baby powder, but this remained lovely.

Edited September 3, 2004 by diabolique

[Effluvia]

YES! THANK YOU! Mr. Bubble, THAT'S where I know this from...

 

(ahem) So. Yes. Moving on...

 

This smells like candied violets and nothing else. Weird, this is SO not how I pictured The Raven to smell. I expected black and shiny. This is pastel purple and sparkly. HMMM...

 

Okay, well, unfortunately, I don't think The Raven and I have had a successful first date. She's a sweet, powdery, pastel purple floral right now and she's too loud and she's giving me a headache and bothering my sinuses. I'll try her again another time, maybe it's just me. (shrug)

[BubbleDragon]

I can see how you can get Mr. Bubbles out of this one, but to me, it reminds me of France. A little french town by the sea with a lovely wall. Or maybe a brick street in Paris, with little candy shops. (It reminds me of this because I somehow found a package of voilet candies when I was in France. They weren't tasty, but they sure did smell good while I toted them all around.)

 

I defiantely got violet, violet, violet out of this at first, but now that it's drying down and settling in a bit, I think I can pick out a few spicier notes. I'm very much falling in love with this one, but it reminds me of a little girl's perfume. Won't wear it much, because I think I'll get bad reactions from it. But I do so love it. It makes me feel young and happy, and it's such a soft, fuzzy scent.

 

Can't... stop.... sniffing. Mmm.

 

~bubbles

[Longstofly]

This is a really beautiful scent in the bottle. Unfortunately when I put it reminded me so strongly of something. It drove me nuts trying to figure it out. Then my husband pointed out that it smells exactly like baby shampoo.

 

So sadly, this one must go to the swap pile because it drives me nutty walking around smelling like babies all day ;-)

Edited October 8, 2004 by Longstofly

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Quoth the Woodfairy: Ooo, I like this one!

 

The Raven does have a touch of candy-violet about it, but I adore neroli and that balances it out. It's a very soft scent (soft as a raven's feathers?); I just put it on and already have to re-apply to review it properly.

 

The Raven is lovely but frustrating--I put it on and love it, but then it's gone. Since I associate it with a poem about lost love, I guess that's apropos...

 

Will I enjoy my imp? Definitely. Will I buy it again? Nevermore!

 

(sorry, I could NOT resist)

 

Edited to add: Oops, it gives Brian a headache. Off to swap then!

Edited November 3, 2005 by Shollin

[sarahj]

The Raven

 

in the vial: violets...very sweet violets

 

wet: violets and musk...I like

 

dry: violets, with bits of musk, iris, and sandalwood floating in the background

 

1 hour later: baby powder...and not much longer after that...pouf! it has disappeared.

 

verdict: I, too, was expecting something a lot "darker." I think I may be swapping this, but I will try it one more time just to be sure.

[couscous]

The Raven smells like a powdery floral, strongly dominated by the violet note. At least on me.

 

If you are reading this and contemplating an imp, I'd say do so only if you KNOW you like the smell of violets. Because I did not know, and now know, how much I DESPISE the smell of violets.

 

You want to talk headache-inducing? One swipe on both my wrists ruined 4 hours of my night. This is how sweet and cloying that note can be on some people. I scrubbed it off 3 times with diswashing soap, 2 times with Ivory soap, and one time with lemon soap. I still reeked of it. The only thing that got rid of the most offensively bad smell i have ever encountered was running olive oil over my wrists, then soaping up.

 

Not only was it sweet and cloying, but it smelled like old lady.

 

I threw this imp out, it offended me so much. And the violet note also ruined bluebeard, which would have been fantastic were it not for this deceptively strong and unpleasant flower.

 

On the positive side, if you love violet than you will love The Raven. Every other note takes a back seat.

 

Also, this was part of my first order with BPAL. Many of the imps I ordered were just terrible on me, but the ones I loved I adored. Like Incantation. BEAUTIFUL.

 

Get incantation instead!

Edited October 26, 2004 by couscous